Arrangement for the separation of objects suspended in batches, primarily anodes and cathodes for electrolytic metal refining

ABSTRACT

The present invention relates to an arrangement for separation from each other of objects, primarily anodes or cathodes for electrolytic metal refining, provided with rod or spigot-shaped suspension devices carried on and suspended between at least mainly parallel conveyors for the objects. The arrangement is mainly characterized in that some part of the conveyors slopes downwards in the direction of transport, so that on this section the suspension devices are at different heights relative to each other, and that at least two retaining means are arranged to interact with the front of the objects in the direction of transport, namely one retaining means arranged to hold back the next lowest object and the objects above it, which are to be separated, and another retaining means which, after having held back the lowest object releases it for motion along the conveyors whilst the objects above it are held back by the first-mentioned retaining means.

United States Patent Segerstrom Sept. 16, 1975 [54] ARRANGEMENT FOR THE SEPARATION 3,567,006 3/1971 Bell 198/287 3,602,403 8/1971 1am 221/298 OF OBJECTS SUSPENDED IN BATCHES, PRllMARlLY ANODES AND CATHODES FOR ELECTROLYTIC METAL REFINING [75] Inventor: Kjell Erik Lennart Segerstrom,

Karlstad, Sweden [73] Assignee: C J Wennberg AB, Karlstad,

Sweden [22] Filed: Dec. 3, 1973 [21] Appl. No.: 420,861

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Dec. 7, 1972 Sweden 15949/72 [52] US. Cl 198/34; 221/298 [51] B65G 47/29 [58] Field of Search 198/34, 287, 190, 273, 198/189, 27, 165, 162; 221/298, 289, 165, 164; 204/286, 288, 289, 297 R, 198, 202; 209/110.5, 80.5

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,105,610 10/1963 Aidlin et a1. 221/298 3,198,669 8/1965 Pickering et a] 198/27 Primary Examiner-Even C. Blunk Assistant Examiner-Jeffrey V. Nase Attorney, Agent, or Firm--Young & Thompson [57 ABSTRACT The present invention relates to an arrangement for separation from each other of objects, primarily anodes or cathodes for electrolytic metal refining, provided with rod or spigot-shaped suspension devices carried on and suspended between at least mainly parallel conveyors for the objects. The arrangement is mainly characterized in that some part of the conveyors slopes downwards in the direction of transport, so that on this section the suspension devices are at different heights relative to each other, and that at least two retaining means are arranged to interact with the front of the objects in the direction of transport, namely one retaining means arranged to hold back the next lowest object and the objects above it, which are to be separated, and another retaining means which, after having held back the lowest object releases it for motion along the conveyors whilst the objects above it are held back by the first-mentioned retaining means.

5 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures ARRANGEMENT FOR THE SEPARATION OF OBJECTS SUSPENDED IN BATCHES, PRIMARILY ANODES AND CATI'IODES FOR ELECTROLYTIC METAL REFINING Electrolytic refining of many metals is carried out in tanks in which the crude metal in the form of anodes is dissolved with the aid of direct current and deposited in the form of pure metal on cathodes. The electrodes comprising the anodes and cathodes are normally arranged in batches in the tanks, so that every other unit is an anode and every other a cathode, with constant spacing between them. A cathode consists of a thin metal sheet suspended on a bar. An anode is cast in one piece in the form of a plate with suspension devices in the form of spigots or the like usually termed anode lugs, projecting laterally. Anodes and cathodes are manufactured at the rate of several hundred an hour. The arrangement of the units at constant spacing is carried out before they are lowered into the tanks. To save space during earlier stages in the preparation process the units are usually batched with the anodes or cathodes close together. There is therefore a need for devices to separate them one by one from such batches.

Anodes coming from casting are suspended, for example in a rack with the aid of lifting forks. The rack is fitted with means for conveying the anodes towards the unloading end where they are to be separated. Known separating devices are based on knurled hooks or toothed wheels lifting the anode under the lugs projecting on either side and unloading the anode onto a following conveyor. Separation by this method is not without problems, for the following reasons:

The anodes are cast with different thicknesses. Consequently, two anodes may be picked up at the same time and may not be separated. The anode lugs are often bent during handling after casting. On lifting in the manner described, it sometimes happens that one of the lugs is bent so badly that only one of the hooks comes into contact with the anode and there is a risk of anodes dropping from the rack. This not only interferes with the flow of anodes but also constitutes a risk for the personnel. An anode usually weighs several hundred kilograms. The present invention overcomes these disadvantages, so that separation is equally effective regardless of the thickness and deformations of the anodes.

In a device in accordance with the invention, the objects, consisting primarily of electrodes in the form of anodes or cathodes for electrolytic metal refining, are provided with suspension means which are suspended on conveyors at least mainly parallel. The invention is characterized chiefly in that the conveyors at some section slope downwards in the direction of transport so that the suspension devices take up different relative heights over this section, and in that at least two retainers are arranged to interact with the front faces of the objects, in the direction of transport, namely a retainer arranged to retain the next lowest object and those above it, which are to be separated and another retainer which, after having stopped the lowest object releases it to continue its travel along the conveyors, whilst the objects above it are retained by the firstmentioned conveyor.

In order that the lowest object, which is to be separated from the others, shall easily be carried out of the lower retainer, which may conveniently have a straight reciprocating motion, the conveyors within the region of this retainer may have a section with a steeper slope than the part of the conveyors above this. When the abovementioned lowest object is released by the retainer it will therefore be moved steeply downwards and be completely removed from the trajectory of the retainer.

An embodiment of the invention is shown schematically on the attached drawing.

FIG. 1 shows a cathode sheet seen in the vertical plane and FIG. 2 the same sheet seen from the side.

FIGS. 3 and 4 show an anode plate in the same way as FIGS. 1 and 2 respectively.

FIG. 5 illustrates completely schematically in vertical lateral projection an arrangement with conveyors and anode plates suspended thereon, together with retainers interacting with the plates.

The cathode sheets and anode plates, referred to below for simplicity as the plates 1, have laterally projecting arms, spigots or lugs 2, shown in FIGS. 2 and 4 as having a square section. These suspension devices 2 rest during transport on parallel conveyors so that the plates I hang between the conveyors with lugs 2 resting on them. FIG. 5 shows a number of plates la,lb,lc and 1d hanging closely together on an upper sloping section 3 of the conveyors. Because of the slope the plates are at different heights, so that an upper one of the suspension devices 2a,2b,2c and 2d projects with a part above the suspension devices of the plate below it. A retainer 4 interacts with the lowest of these devices 2d and a retainer 5 interacts with the next lowest. These retainers move back and forth, conveniently in a straight line, as indicated by arrows. Below the regions in which the re tainers move, the conveyors have a section 6 with greater downward slope in the direction of motion than conveyor sections 3. The section 6 is followed by a horizontal section 7. On this, FIG. 5 shows a plate 1e hanging by its suspension devices 2e, having been separated from the plate above it. The conveyors may consist of chains moving along the marked conveyor lines 3,6 and 7 in the directions of arrows 8,9.

In the position shown in FIG. 5, both retainers 4 and 5 are engaged, the lower 4 with plate 1d and the upper with plate 1c. lf retainer 4 moves to the left in FIG. 5 whilst retainer 5 remains stationary, plate 1d can be moved downward by the conveyors and when suspension devices 2d reach the steep section 6 of the conveyors the plate will be moved downward below the path of motion of retainer 4 thus reaching horizontal conveyor section 7. During this time, plates 1c, lb and la are held back by retainer 5. Retainer 4 returns to the position shown, so that, when retainer 5 is also moved to the left, plate 1c will be held back by retainer 4 immediately after the plate was released by retainer 5 and moved downward along conveyor 3. The motions of the retainers and conveyors are matched in such a way that, when the suspension devices or the plate have reached the horizontal conveyor section 7, the plates will be suitably spaced.

In the above description it was assumed that the conveyors consisted of chains carrying the plates, but the sloping sections can instead be made up of slides at an angle such that the suspension devices of the plates can slide along them. The retainers holding back the plates can be forked-shapedand interact with the suspension devices of the plates or act on some other point on the front of the plates. The retainers can be interconnected in such a way that they move back and forth as a unit, but they can instead be separate and their motion can be other than straight.

What I claim is:

1. Apparatus for conveying electrodes for electrolytic metal refining, comprising a pair of parallel conveyors that support rod or spigot-shaped suspension devices on the electrodes, a portion of the conveyors sloping downwardly, and a pair of retaining means adjacent said downwardly sloping portion of the conveyors for retaining on said downwardly sloping portion said electrodes and for releasing said electrodes one by one in predetermined spaced relationship to each other for further downward movement along the conveyors, said retaining means comprising a pair of horizontally elongated members disposed one above the other, and means for moving said members relative to each other with a horizontal reciprocatory lengthwise motion in opposite directions relative to each other parallel to the horizontal component of the motion of the electrodes into and out of cndwise abutting contact with upper portions of said electrodes. the upper of said pair of members passing directly over the electrode in contact with the lower of said pair of members and into contact with the electrode next to the lastnamed electrode.

2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, said members contacting said rod or spigot-shaped suspension devices on opposite sides of said electrodes in the vicinity of said conveyors.

3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, said conveyors having sections of relatively steep slope below said members and regions of lesser slope above said regions of steep slope.

4. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, said conveyors having drive chains to move said electrodes by contact with said rod or spigot-shaped suspension devices.

5. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, said conveyors comprising slides on which said suspension devices slide. 

1. Apparatus for conveying electrodes for electrolytic metal refining, comprising a pair of parallel conveyors that support rod or spigot-shaped suspension devices on the electrodes, a portion of the conveyors sloping downwardly, and a pair of retaining means adjacent said downwardly sloping portion of the conveyors for retaining on said downwardly sloping portion said electrodes and for releasing said electrodes one by one in predetermined spaced relationship to each other for further downward movement along the conveyors, said retaining means comprising a pair of horizontally elongated members disposed one above the other, and means for moving said members relative to each other with a horizontal reciprocatory lengthwise motion in opposite directions relative to each other parallel to the horizontal component of the motion of the electrodes into and out of endwise abutting contact with upper portions of said electrodes, the upper of said pair of members passing directly over the electrode in contact with the lower of said pair of members and into contact with the electrode next to the lastnamed electrode.
 2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, said members contacting said rod or spigot-shaped suspension devices on opposite sides of said electrodes in the vicinity of said conveyors.
 3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, said conveyors having sections of relatively steep slope below said members and regions of lesser slope above said regions of steep slope.
 4. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, said conveyors having drive chains to move said electrodes by contact with said rod or spigot-shaped suspension devices.
 5. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, said conveyors comprising slides on which said suspension devices slide. 